Over the weekend (on October 20th), Hollywood starlet Carla Laemmle turned 103. 103! How awesome is that? Carla Laemmle holds a special place in the hearts of the gang here at Famous Monsters, and undoubtedly does for any longtime horror fan. Laemmle is the last surviving cast member of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA way back in 1925, as a prima ballerina. She also appeared as a coach passenger in DRACULA (1931) and in other small roles throughout the 1930s. She left an indelible imprint on Hollywood and horror forever as the epitome of the Hollywood dream girl. In 2001, she briefly returned to the limelight as a vampire in THE VAMPIRE HUNTER’S CLUB.
She is a part of a Hollywood dynasty, as she’s the neice of Carl Laemmle, who was one of the founders of Universal and had a helping hand in over 400 movies, bringing to life practically every monster we hold dear. IndieGoGo ran a fundraiser for Carla Laemmle, getting $1,335 dollars to help organize a birthday party with scenes from her films, 1920s music, and just a lot of fun.
Check out the video of the event, and feel free to check up on Carla on Facebook and Twitter (perhaps the oldest person on Twitter?).
